· 07:15 (Konyaalti) – 08:15 Departure from the hotels
· Visiting Perge antique site in detail; Stadium, Roman Gate, Nymphaeum, Roman Bath, Hellenistic gate, Colonnaded Main Street and the Agora
· Lunch on the Köprüpazari stream near the Aspendos Theater
· Visiting Aspendos Theater and the Historical Aqueducts
· Shopping Break where also the Turkish handcrafts are introduced
· Introduction of Side and an hour and a half free time
· 18:00 Returning to Antalya distribution to hotels
What's Included:
- Professional and experienced licensed guide during the tours.
- Transportation by a comfortable AC non smoking Luxurious car / Van with professional driver.
- Transfer from hotels and back.
- Parkings.
- Entrance Fees to the Museums.
- Lunch
Please contact us for the price of this tour.
PERGE
Perge was one of the important cities in antiquity. The founding of the city varies depending on the sources. The inscriptions found in the Hellenistic gate refer to Calchas and Mopsus (from the Trojan Wars) and M. Plancius Varus and C. Plancius Varus, father and brother of Plancia Magna, from the 2nd century AD as well. Hittite records mention the name along with the river Cestros as Parha, which means that the city was already large and must have been founded before. It has benefited from the navigable Cestros (modern Aksu) river even though it is some 12 km inland. Perge has two famous women benefactors. Plancia Magna of the 2nd century AD and Prof. Jale Inan. The previous one helped building the city and the latter one uncovered it for us to see it. The theater is the first building that meets us. Unfortunately it is under restoration. The stadium which is one of the best preserved in Turkey, is next. After the Roman gate we are in the grandeur 2nd century Roman city of Perge with its monumental nymphaeums, the Roman bath, and the Hellenistic gate (renovated in the Roman times as an honorary hall with the statues of the founders of the city). After the Hellenistic gate, you may walk the splendid colonnaded Cardo of Perge with artificial waterfalls all along the street to the foot of the acropolis. The Agora can be visited on the way back.
ASPENDOS-BELKIS
The city was originally built on the, then navigable river Eurymedon, on the mountain where the acropolis is today. The oldest name of the city we know; Asiawanda (the land of the horses) in the old local Anatolian languages is now very famous for its most intact 2nd C AD Roman Theater and the aqueducts which are a rare feat of engineering. The Theater was built by Zenon one of the most famous architects of the time in the 2nd century AD. It is known as the best preserved Roman Theater with very good acoustics with a capacity of 15,000 spectators. It is known to hold 20 000 people nowadays when there are concerts by nationally and internationally famous orchestras of classical music and singers. There are concerts, plays and other entertainments through out the tourist season. It was used as a church during the Byzantine times and as a palace during the Seljuk’s reign. Other than the lack of decorative statues, etc. of the stage building, it is in perfect condition. The water was brought to the city from the mountains through tunnels and over the aqueducts. The aqueducts that bring water to Aspendos are a great feat of engineering, very rare of its kind. The aqueducts cross a marsh of almost one kilometer by piping made of stone fittings on lower aqueducts. The towers of 30m height are used to change the direction of the piping and also for the siphoning system.
SIDE
She has existed at least since 1400 BC and has still kept her original name Side, which means pomegranate in the old anatolian Sidetan language. This is provided by the coins from the 6th C BC and three records from 3rd C BC. This language has not been deciphered yet two of the only three records found are bilingual. This language was in use until after the invasion of Alexander the Great around 333 BC, when ‘koione’ the common dialect of greek was used. Side is unique in many ways. It still offers the small sweet anatolian fisherman town atmosphere despite the flood of tourism. The long, fine, sandy beaches are also worth mentioning. The city was built on a flat peninsula instead of a mountain acropolis, for defense, like Perge, Sillyum and Aspendos. Instead the peninsula is walled on both the land and the sea all around. The first buildings that meets you are the aqueducts, bringing water from 32km from the mountains. The monumental nymphaeum is the next. The colonnaded main street with shops and houses on both sides take you to the inner city. The Roman bath which is restored as a museum is on the right near the monumental Roman gate.The theater, the largest in Pamphylia, is built on flat land instead of resting on a slope. It rests on a multi-story sloped arches, 17m high, and is a true wonder of Roman engineering. The stage building is higher, 21m. The adjacent buildings of the extensive agora and the temple of Tyke and fine public toilets within are closed to visitors for the time being. The Temple of Apollo and Athena have some columns that and have been restored on the beach near the harbour are the symbol of Side. The Byzantian Basilicas, the Temple of Man and the Bibliotect are a few of the other buildings.
Kekova, Myra St. Nicolaus Church Tour
· 06:15 (Kundu) – 07:15 Departure
· Rest stop near the valley of Olympos
· Visiting the Lycian Rock Tombs and the Antique Theater
· Visiting The Church of St. Nicholas
· Lunch Break
· Kekova – Simena Boat tour starting at Üç Agiz
· Swimming at the Dockyard Bay
· 19:15 Return to Antalya and transfer to Hotel
What's Included:
- Professional and experienced licensed guide during the tours.
- Transportation by a comfortable AC non smoking Luxurious car / Van with professional driver.
- Transfer from hotels and back.
- Parkings.
- Entrance Fees to the Museums.
- Lunch
Please contact us for the price of this tour.
KEKOVA & SİMENA
If you are looking for the crystal clear sea, shades of blue in the sky and in the water, endless small bays for swimming, castles, the ancient ruins on land and in the sea, sarcophagus’ all around the land and the sea, the fisherman villages and countless other beauties that can not be listed here; The answer is KEKOVA; a feast for the eye to behold The name of the island of Kekova is now used as the general name of all the sites in the same bay. It is easily seen that the whole area had been heavily populated in the antiquity from the ruins and other artifacts lying about. Now, it is one of the most attractive picturesque yacht / boat tour locations. Boat tours start from Çayagzi (Andriace; the ancient harbor of Myra), Üçagiz (Teimiussa) or Kas (Antiphellos). Where ever they start, you sail along the Kekova Island and zigzag across the blue waters between the land and the island, around the small peninsulas and in and out of beautiful bays. Throughout the area often there are structures half under the water as a result of the earth quakes. This has caused it to be called the Sunken City. Indeed one comes across houses, temples, staircases, half under the water as you cruise along the coast of the island and of the mainland land. The fisherman village of Kale (Simena in the antiquity) with its citadel, of which some of the walls are from the Hellenistic period, at the top, like a crown, It reminds one of the times that you could not do without a castle to protect you and also how lively this now remote village was in the past. It also gives a view of the region in all directions, the sea, and mountains, the island and so on, that no method of recording; a photo, picture or drawing can give enough credit to, compared to what you can see with your own eyes. It also includes the most unique theater ever, as small as it is, but the seats are totally carved out of the rock. The village itself is living at present but side by side with history, new and old – a Lycian Sarcophagus in the garden, or the house resting on the Hellenistic walls. Üçagiz (Teimiussa) is further to west and other than the citadel, almost everything is also true for this village too. That may be because it was a village in history as well. It has none of the public buildings or any prominent house either. But it has a vast necropolis from the Lycian, Hellenistic and Roman periods. One can only try to reflect only some of the beauty of this area. You must see it for yourselves.
MYRA
Myra was one of the six prominent cities of Lycia, the tekke peninsula today. Lycia and the Lycians are not well known by many people. They were the oldest local settlers in the area that we know of. They were tough fighters and one of the very first people we know of, to form a league of city states, the Lycian League, to defend themselves against the invaders. It has been an important city during the Roman period and a very important city during the early Christian and Byzantium period. The ship carrying the captive St. Paul went via Myra to Rome and St. Nicholas was a bishop here in the 4th C AD. The inhabitants moved out about 7th century due to earthquakes and the silting of the harbor by the river Myrus. There is a good collection of rock tombs which represent characteristics of the Lycian culture at Myra along with the Roman Theater and the Church of St. Nicholas. The numerous rock tombs give us very important clues of what the Lycian houses and monuments looked like. For example even though they are carved out of rock they reflect wooden beams, doors, windows and many other aspects of Lycian buildings. The Lycian sarcophagus’ and other tombs are also very unique and characteristic of the region and of the people. The Roman Theater is in fairly good condition. The center of the cavea rests on the rock. The stage building is in good condition. The architectural elements from the theater including the stone masks that lie all around inside and outside the theater. The rock tombs, the theater, the local present day life and the castle on the mountain all together offer a good picture of the old and the new side by side.
The church of St. Nicholas
The church of St. Nicholas, now in the center of what is now called Kale, was probably built in the 3rd or 4th century. Now it reflects many alterations and it has been restored. Nevertheless, it is toured by many visitors from all nations and religions from all over the world that has come to see the church of St. Nicholas. St. Nicholas was born in Patara c 300 AD. He was from a wealthy family was said to have traveled to Palestine and Egypt. He was regarded as the patron saint of Greece, Russia, children, prisoners and travelers. By the late middle ages, 400 churches were dedicated to him in England alone. Santa Claus, of the children, was indeed running to the aid of those who were in need through out his life. His statue, with the bag of presents for the children and in company of the children, in the garden of the museum/church, now greets all. There are too many myths to relate about him but it is known that he was very influential in the early and medieval church. Myra with the church of St. Nicholas, the Roman ruins, by being near Kekova and other sites is an attractive place to visit. Indeed you can see visitors of all nationalities throughout the day.
OLYMPOS
It is located on the slope of Mount Musa and within “Olympos-Beydaglari National Park” where the creek of the same name joins the sea. The name of the city is derived from “Aluamapa/Oluamapa/Olyamapa” in the Luwian/Etruscan language. In the Luwian language, “Olu”, which is a variation of “Alu”, means light/sun and in the Luwian and Hittite languages the word “Ama” means “mother”. We know that the word “Pa” means water/creek/lake. It is understood from this that the name of the city was “sacred water spring of the supreme mother of light/mother of sky”. Indeed, the spring of the Olympos creek is today called “Gökpinar” with the same association. Furthermore, in the Luwian language the word “olyntos” meant wild fig. The road monument Stadiasmus, in Patara, depicts the city of Olympos on the slope of the Mount Musa. Today’s seaside remains are found at a place named Korykos. In fact, the name Olympos has been given to all high mountains and acropolises throughout antiquity. The people of the city of Olympos on the mountain, which was within the Lycian Federation and was ruined in 75 B.C., descended to the shore and, after the final defeat of pirates by the Roman Isauricus in 78 B.C., joined the Roman lands. Maritime commerce thrived during the Roman epoch. It became the episcopal centre during the Byzantine era. The city lost its character during the Ottoman era and, owing to the floods, the people abandoned the area. South of the port, a part of the cavea and the entrance of the theatre for 8 thousand people still stand today. The theatre was used as an outdoor Orthodox basilica during the Byzantine era. Remains of the Roman Bath and the Byzantine Church with wide arched windows on the south bank of the river can be seen,. In the main necropolis to the south of the river are more than 200 inscribed tombs. As a result of recent excavations 2 sarcophagi, named Port Monumental Tombs, have been unearthed. Today the area is a favourite tourist spot, with its beach of outstanding beauty and small guest houses, restaurants, yörük style bungalows and gazebo tree houses, in character with the natural surroundings.
BELLEROPHONTES & CHIMERA
According to the Myth this is where Bellerophon kills Chimaera with his flying horse, but cannot extinguish the fire coming out of its mouth. Thus, this is the place where the Olympic torch is fired. People organized festivities and celebrations which also lay the foundations of the Olympic games in commemoration of this event. In reality it is an inflammable gas, which consists of a 46% hydrogen and 34% methane compound, issuing from the cracks formed as a result of the tectonic earthquakes. The noteworthy ancient ruin in the area is the Byzantine Orthodox Basilica Complex, which contains the residential quarters of priests, and churches. The ceremonial and reception area in the south being made of large, single piece block stones confirms the existence of the Temple of the God of Fire here. Bellerophontes BELLEROPHON, or BELLEROPHONTES, in Greek legend, son of Glaucus or Poseidon, grandson of Sisyphus and local hero of Corinth. Having slain by accident the Corinthian hero Bellerus (or, according to others, his own brother) he fled to Tiryns, where his kinsman Proetus, king of Argos, received him hospitably anc~ purged him of his guilt. But Anteia (or Sthcneboea), wife of Proetus, became enamoured of Bellerophon, and, when he refusbd her advances, charged him with an attempt upon her virtue. Proetus thereupon sent him to Iobates, his wifes father, king of Lycia, with a letter or sealed tablet, in which were instructions, apparently given by means of signs, to take the life of the bearer. Arriving in Lycia, he was received as a guest and entertained for nine days. On the tenth, being asked the object of his visit, he handed the letter to the king, whose first plan for complying with it was to send him to slay the Chimaera, a monster which was devastating the country. Bellerophon,moun.ted on Pegasus(q.v.) ,kept up in the air out of the way of the Chithaera, but yet near enough to kill it with his spear, or, as he is at other times represented,with his sword or with a bow. He was next ordered out against the Solymi, a hostile tribe, and afterwards against the Amazons, from both of which expeditions he not only returned victorious, but also on his way back slew an ambush of chosen warriors whom lobates had placed to intercept him. His divine origin was now proved; the king gave him his daughter in marriage; and the Lycians presented him with a large and fertile estate on which he lived (Apollodorus, j. 3; Homer, Iliad, Vi. 155). Bellerophon is said to have returned to Tiryns and avenged himself on Anteia: he persuaded her to fly with him on his winged horse, and then flung her into the sea near the island of Melos (Schol. Aristoph., Fax, 140). His ambitious attempt to ascend to the heavens on Pegasus brought upon him the wrath of the gods. His son was smitten by Ares in battle; his daughter Laodameia was slain by Artemis; he himself, flung from his horse, lamed or blinded, became a wanderer over the face of the earth until his death SARPEDON Grand son of Bellerophon, son of Zeus and Laodameia, a Lycian prince and hero of the Trojan war. He fought on the side of the Trojans, and after greatly distinguishing himself by his bravery, was slain by Patroclus.
